Monday, March 23, 2015

Obama Speaks to the Knesset . . .

It occurs to me that Obama should speak to the Israeli
Knesset — invited by Isaac Herzog, perhaps, the just-defeated head of the newly
revived Labor party, and/or by Tzipi Livni — much as Bibi Netanyahu spoke to
the American Congress.

He'd stomp. Maybe, being the Bandersnatch he is, he'd have
to be restrained.

Obama could tell the Knesset and the Israeli people that the
United States has deep ties with Israel but also genuine and fairly
long-standing commitment to a two-state solution.

Palestinians require and deserve a state of their own.
Current Israeli policy, as divulged by Netanyahu in his pre-election rants, is
designed expressly to block that.

(Those settlement expansion blocs Bibi built to just to defend
against a Palestinian state, they haven't been talked/rolled back, along with
his noxious rhetoric, have they? Nah, they're still standing, their purpose
notwithstanding.)

The United States provides arms and aid to Israel, Obama would
say, and aims to continue to. But this deep, intimate, alliance is not written into
the Constitution. The bond between Israel and the United States has evolved and
has been re-enforced over the course of sixty years of history.

It has its uses, its truths and commonalities. It can also,
from the American point of view, be quite a pain in the ass.

It entails obligations on the part of Israeli gov'ts and the
Israeli people the Netanyahu 4-peat thinks to ignore.

Plus (quoth Obama): We recognize turmoil in the Middle East
stirs up legitimate Israeli fears about the sanity of having a Palestinian
state right next door.

I, Pres. Obama, know that actions taken by my ignorant
predecessor, whose name I try not to mention and whose deeds I often try to
ignore, magnified discord throughout the region. These actions made tough stuff
worse. They augmented the Sunni-Shia split that total jerk my predecessor
hadn't even heard of when he sent troops to topple Saddam.

Yes, it now appears that Iran is solidifying dominance in
the region, with the Shiite Axis running all the way from Teheran through
Bagdad (Iraq being effectively a Shiite puppet) through Damascus to Beirut
(Hezbollah being the most effective military body there.)

Yet we, the United States, will nevertheless do everything
needful to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons. That's not just because
we care — we do,we really do care
— about Tel Aviv, but because we want to prevent nukes care of Teheran from being
slipped into New York City. Or even, say, Chicago.

Get that Bibi? Is this too deep for you? Oh stop foaming.
You look rabid, you big dog. Does the Prime Minister of Israel need a rabies —
not rabbi rabies— shot?`

[Some editing necessary.]

We, the gov't of the United States, find the gov't of Israel
is not negotiating in good faith toward peace and security for all concerned.

The Israeli policy of endless occupation accompanied by
endless even accelerated settlement on Palestinian land is a fucking joke. [language
to be smoothed out, niceties needed.]

Of course, Obama will not make a speech before the Israeli
Knesset. That would be tit-for-tat, and might therefore be deemed childish.

Why should a superpower stoop so low?

Perhaps to make plain the Israeli tail does not wag the
American dog.

It doesn't, do it?

Netanyahu, as has been said, would be a great right-wing Senator
from somewhere.